Classique

by Zancrowe

{Soma / Erina} As rival schools attempt to crush Tootsuki in the biggest Tournament Arc; Azami finally attempts to retake control of his daughter; while Asahi decides it's time to usurp the Nakiri Throne from that very heiress. Only problem? Erina's boyfriend. [ft. Asahi/Dove; Loren/Nao; Ryou/Alice; Isshi/Nene; Taku/Hisa; Akira/Megu] ((43 / 44: To You, 10 Years From Nao))

24. Régiment De Cuisine

Rating: T+

Pairing: Soma/Erina

Genre: Romance; Drama; Hurt/Comfort; Shonen; Slight Mature Themes

Notes:

Hey Everyone! Zancrowe Here!

1. says: "Email Alerts are now only active if Email Opt-In is enabled in Account Settings", which means you won't receive story updates unless you manually change your settings!

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4. Want more Sorina?! Go check out my one-shot Role Reversal!

Disclaimer: Don't own Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma.

---

It was a strange feeling to be a Tootsuki alumni these days, so late into the Intercontinental Shokugeki, yet not quite over the hill just yet. There was this undeniable sense of dread that could be felt in the air itself, almost as if the atmosphere itself felt heavier, drowning almost. But, at the same time, there was still a small sense of excitement, but not just for the big, climactic showdown between the feared Neo-Noirs against the last line of defense Tootsuki had. Those four of the Elite Ten students still standing.

No.

There was also some sense of thrill at the idea that Tootsuki would host this majestic ball, a dance so grand that it would very well eclipse anything the academy had done before.

Or at least, that's what the email sent to every student promised, offering each alumni more information about the event, such as the official date, the time it would start, dress-code, artists and bands that would be performing live, alongside a host of other tidbits of information that made them all super excited for it, despite, well, the fact that Azami Nakamura's name was plastered over every inch of those announcements. And they very much did not like this man.

But… such a dance. Such a grand, romantic ball. It was too good for all the young couples throughout the campus, but, for the not so lucky majority…

Well, all it did was add to the anxiety. To the sleepless nights. To the ever growing sense that things were about to get much, much worse despite not knowing how they ever possibly could. Such was the case with Ryoko, as the autumn-haired girl found herself currently gazing at her roof tiles, her mind both blank and clouded in equal measure, as sleep utterly evaded her.

She thought about her fellow dorm-mates, how they each had been working harder and harder to improve, hoping that, if their assistance were to be needed, they could answer the call. It was farfetched, she knew, but it had worked out for Megumi, who managed to earn her spot within the Elite Ten thanks to that very hard work and tenacity she mustered ever since this attack against their school began. When the Elite Ten needed her, she was able to help, able to take a monster like Shouko Kaburagi out, and give the Elite Ten a true fighting chance.

But could the rest say the same?

Ryoko just thought about all the others, how they also struggled to improve, both in and out of class. The classes themselves had gotten rougher, since now with the temporary restriction against expelling students until the Intercontinental Shokugeki concluded, the professors felt more at ease giving them harsher tasks and even harder recipes. And, as frustrating as it was, it helped. She felt they had grown stronger, improved in their craft greatly from how they were just a few months ago. A few weeks ago even. But…

Ryoko shook her head, this wasn't helping. Just thinking about how they were all trying to deal with their stress wasn't much lessening her own, so with a swift kick, she took off her sheets and got right up. Deciding that maybe getting something warm to drink could help calm her nerves, Ryoko made her way out of her room, and upon just opening the door, she got smacked by an all too familiar aroma.

'Shun's cooking…?!' Ryoko though as soon as she recognized that smoked scent in the air. 'This shouldn't be strange, we've all be practicing harder than ever, but… Shun usually practices in his room, which Miss Fumio did have altered to help filter out all that smoke, but still…'

She took guided steps from the hallways and towards the kitchen, peeking her head in, expecting to see Shun working on his craft, and already with a witty remark on her lips to try and see if she could get a more honest reaction from the guy, since he had been acting awfully strange lately, but to her surprise, this was not the picture she came across at all. Her words remained unsaid, as her eyes widened, as she had walked in on what seemed to be a match between Shun and… Soma?

Shun had his eyes covered with his hair, his focus on the dish he was prepping, working with a whole lot more seriousness than she had ever seen before.

Soma, on the other hand, had a permanent scowl on his face, likewise focused on his craft, but it was such a far cry from his usual cooking style that it mystified her.

Were they both also suffering from insomnia and decided to just… practice? If so, then why? Why didn't this feel like just practice?

"…Do you guys know how late it is?" she voiced, and it seemed to make both boys flinch, having been so caught up on their cooking that they had failed to notice her there. Soma quickly turned, and she didn't much like the look in his eyes. Boy looked utterly lost. Shun, however…

"Ryoko?" Soma voiced, and he sounded just as lost as he looked. "Did we wake you? Sorry about that. But any complaints, take it with Mr. Wanna-Be Noir over here."

What?

"What are you…?" Ryoko voiced, turning her eyes towards Shun, who had kept his eyes fixated on his dish, avoiding hers entirely. She felt herself heat up at this, and she clenched her fist against her pajama's top. Something was definitely wrong here. "Shun? What's going on? You've been acting strangely for a while now. What's happening?"

"…Nothing," Shun finally replied, his tone sounding as if nothing was off. "Just a little bet between classmates."

"Oh, is that what this is now?" Soma shot back, turning to the Smoke Master, the glare in the redhead's face being one Ryoko never expected he'd aim at any of them. "If you wanna play the role so badly, then fess up. Or are you going to be selective over which friends you want to antagonize?"

"Antagonize?" Ryoko repeated, her eyes widening a bit, before she turned to Shun once more. And like before, he was avoiding her gaze. "Shun, what is this? This certainly doesn't feel like a friendly competition or a training match."

"…It's an unofficial Shokugeki," Shun finally offered, before he took out his dish, the massive smoke cloud erupting from the plate like a bomb that had just been set off, as he set it on the table before them. "Soma and I have different views about how we've all been handling this event. And I… I have received an offer on how to fix things. It just…"

"He wants to join the Noirs," Soma added, taking his own plate, and putting it right down next to Shun's. From what Ryoko could see at first glance, both boys had remade the dishes that had granted them entry to this very dorm. Was that the theme they had chosen? But… of course, both dishes had seen massive improvements since the first time they had been served.

"The Noirs?!" Ryoko shot back, the shock in her voice evident. "You want to join the team that's outright making our life miserable?! The very team that's under the command of the man that has abused Erina?!"

"Not the Neo-Noirs," Shun corrected, even if his body language indicated he felt a bit uncomfortable at the accusation. "The actual Noirs. They want to take Azami down as well. And they have the means to do so. Our Elite Ten are down to just four, three if we exclude Etsuya Eizan, and given how Erina has –"

"Shun."

It was just one word. A warning. But the fact that neither Shun or Ryoko had ever heard Soma growl like that had, despite everything, made Shun give pause and decide against continuing his line-of-thoughts regarding the Tootsuki Princess.

"…I don't mean her any harm," Shun explained, turning to a very unhappy looking Soma, "If anything, this would protect her more than just stepping into that arena as unprepared as you all are. Or do you really think you three can improve enough to take the Neo-Noirs down in this little time you have?"

"What are you even saying?!" Ryoko quickly cut in. "Of course they can! They've fought so hard just to make it this far, and you start doubting them now?! What, the hell, is wrong with you?!"

Shun said nothing, hands on his pocket, taking a deep breath.

"…Joining the Noirs to take down the Neo-Noirs," Soma surmised, with a little laugh. "That's rich. Do tell, who is the Noirs leader again?"

"…I am aware it's Asahi Saiba," Shun replied, his eyes now once more on Soma. But, then added, "And I am also aware you already had a match against him. How did that turn out?"

Soma's eyes went wide, caught off-guard. "How'd you…?"

"I have connections," Shun simply stated. "But, to answer you both," Shun added, signaling to both Soma and Ryoko, "That's why I'm concerned. The Neo-Noirs are at a level that they simply cannot be defeated by a one-on-one. However, Asahi Saiba seems to have a back-up plan. But he needs the manpower."

"T-This isn't like you," Ryoko said.

"I kinda said that already," Soma added.

"…But it's who I must be," Shun simply explained, as he turned, away from the two, his eyes towards the main doors, as they were opened up, revealing two more Polar Stars. Soma and Ryoko looked on, both equally confused, especially since they did not expect to see Daigo and Shoji also up this late an hour. "…Thanks for showing up, despite the fact that I only texted one of you."

"Hey, rude much," Daigo barked, frowning at Shun.

"Yeah, if it's to help taste-test your new dish, why'd you only ask Daigo?" Shoji whined. "I mean, we were both already out as was, so if you have enough for him, you better have enough for… Wait, you also invited Soma and Ryoko?"

"Why are you guys here?" Soma asked, utterly confused, while Ryoko seemed to be glaring at them.

"Don't tell me you two also want to go and join up with the Noirs?" she asked, arms crossed against her chest, her eyes drilling holes into the duo. They both just blinked.

"Us? Join the Noirs?" Daigo asked, utterly lost.

"Not that we know of," Shoji added, equally lost. "I mean, why would we?"

"…Oh," both Soma and Ryoko muttered, realizing that they were innocent in all this, but offering not much in terms of explanation, which caused the two guys to flip out.

"Explain damn it!" they both cried out at having such accusations thrown their way without any rhyme or reason.

"They play no part in this," Shun explained, before he motioned to the dishes he and Soma had made. "I texted Daigo because I had heard from Marui he would be staying up late at the library catching up on the last homework he had forgotten about," Shun explained, and Daigo flinched. Did everybody need to know that? "Guess it is my fault for not expecting Shoji to go along with him, but that's fine. I needed an uneven number of judges, and while I would have settled for one," he explained, his eyes showing themselves for a moment with a very worrying spark, "We do have three now."

"Three?" Soma repeated, before he realized what Shun meant. Who he meant.

Ryoko, Daigo and Shoji all took a moment to realize what their roles where now supposed to be, and while the two boys were more surprised than anything, for Ryoko, her head was outright spinning.

"Wait, no, I am not doing this!" she cried out, her eyes right back on Shun's. "What are the terms? What are you two actually betting here? Don't tell me, if you win, then you'll actually…?"

"Join the Noirs," Shun answered. "It is not the big deal you all are making it out to be."

"Wait, what?!" Daigo just blasted.

"You wanna join the Neo-Noirs?!" Shoji likewise shouted.

"…No, not the… you know, forget it," Shun simply said, shaking his head. "Do us the favor and judge those dishes before they get cold. If not, I suppose Soma and I could just judge them ourselves," Shun added, now turning towards Soma, "…Wouldn't be the first time you admitted defeat this way, right?"

Soma didn't say anything. He didn't need to. His eyes said it all. The hurt, the anger, all mixed up with the confusion of these events spiraling so out of control. What was going on? This wasn't right.

What did Asahi have on his friend?

"Hey, cut it out man, this isn't funny," Shoji said, slamming his hand on the table, causing the dishes to tremble slightly.

"Yeah, we're at the endgame here, no time to –" Daigo added, but he was quickly interrupted.

"Guys, please, just judge the dishes."

The two guys froze, since it had been Soma to speak, his eyes never leaving Shun's, but making it clear he wanted this (for as far as the given definition of "wanted" could be utilized in this setting) over with too. So, both of them steeled themselves, looking at one another, before taking hold of nearby silverware, and digging in. One was Soma's once-upon-a-time "improvised" mackerel burger, while the other was Shun's specialty that he had crafted way back during his middle school years. A dish, Ryoko noted, she had eaten plenty of times before. The dishes had been improved greatly, Soma's even more-so than when he served it "against" Loren during the latter's entry upon these dorms, while Shun's looked like a new dish all-together.

Daigo and Shoji took a bite of both, and it was like they had been caught in the middle of a fight that should not be happening. At the Valley of the End, in a rain of tears, as both Soma and Shun took aim at each other, friend against friend, in a duel that should have never come to pass. Daigo and Shoji stood in the middle, begging them to stop, but the power, the flavor, was too great. Too much. And as both boys launched themselves at each other, despite the pleas from the two tasters, they clashed…

"Rasengan! / Chidori!" Soma / Shun screamed out, as their attacks clashed, sending a massive wave of flavor all across the torn up battlefield, leaving a (for some reason) naked Daigo and Shoji washed away in the waters…

…broken and beaten on the muddy ground as the rain washed out what was left of their bond.

"Oh come on!" Daigo cried out, throwing himself onto one of the chairs, almost in tears.

"This is too much!" Shoji added, holding himself up by holding onto the table itself. "What the heck, how did you get so damn good at this Shun?!"

"…Is that your verdict?" Shun simply asked, and it made Soma flinch. He was looking at the two intently, hoping, wishing, but a part of him was afraid that, maybe, he had actually…

"…I guess," Shoji forced himself to say, utterly flabbergast. "I-I don't know, they are both so damn good, but, if we take initial impact into account, I guess yours would be, but, damn it, come on, we aren't professional judges. My vote shouldn't mean squat!"

"It is a vote regardless," Shun simply concluded, before he turned to the other. "And you, Daigo?"

"Oh screw off you hentai protagonist," Daigo shot back, which made Shun tilt his head in confusion. Where had that come from? "Your dish was amazing, making it pretty damn clear you've been holding back on us, but, sorry, Soma still gets my vote. He made more with much less."

"Daigo, you don't have to –" Soma tried, but Shun quickly cut in.

"That is a fair assessment," Shun noted, before he, alongside the other three boys, turned to the last remaining judge, as Ryoko's glare had not left her face. "…Your call then. Soma and I are tied at one vote each. So it's –"

"No," she simply responded, arms still crossed, eyes now closed.

"Ryoko?" Shun voiced, as Soma looked on.

"I said… no," she repeated clearly. "I want no part in this. I will not vote in such a hurtful game. You want to leave, then go. But I won't undermine Soma's efforts and judge a dish from someone who is hurting as much as he is. So do whatever you want, but I won't judge this."

"…You're being unfair," Shun noted, ignoring as best he could the hypocrisy. "I'm not against you guys. I want to help, just in a way the Elite Ten won't, can't. It's…"

"I won't judge this," Ryoko simply repeated, then, reopening her eyes and landing them firmly at Shun's, added, "Or will you try and force me to?"

He visibly flinched, despite himself. "You know I'd never – That's neither here nor there. Fine, it is your call," Shun forced himself to say, before turning to Soma. "I know you don't understand, and that's fine, but we've been here for longer than just one year. Since we were kids this has been our home. And I will do what I must to protect it. We'll consider this match unfinished for now," Shun declared, as he moved to the side, taking hold of his bags, and moving towards the main doors.

"It's a draw you damn idiot," Soma added, "And if you really believe those Noirs can do what we cannot, then fine, go. I'll crush the Neo-Noirs and your Noirs too if I have to. I'll make sure you see."

"That's fine," Shun simply said, as he opened the door, but not before adding a few more words that struck Soma to his very core, "But if a "draw" is the best you can manage against me, well, you have my sympathies."

-0-

"And now a Grand Ball of all things," Senzaemon noted with a rather loud scoff, eyeing the new report that would be in the front pages of the Tootsuki paper first thing in the morning. This had Azami's fingerprints all over it, and he couldn't be more furious. To try and win support with the very establishment he had every intention of destroying, he'd stoop this low. Promise them all safety regardless of the results. Promise them a grand time at the dance of the century. Even schedule an interview for the "Nakiri Family" during the event itself, which of course, by that he meant… "I take it this is also your doing?"

Mana just stared, having sat down on the visitor's chair, long past visiting hours, but nobody could realistically just step up and tell her "no" anyways. She had also not muttered a single word, which was causing the old man to frown.

"At least tell me they didn't call you about a worsening prognostic I have not been made aware off," he noted with a hint of mockery. "I very much would like to know if I am dying, as if so, I need to get off this bed and make sure to take Azami down with me."

"You're not dying," Mana finally voiced. "Is it… so difficult to believe I just wanted to see you?"

"Forgive me for jumping to conclusions," Senzaemon noted, "But you simply aren't one to visit family unless a tragedy forces you to."

At this Mana gave out a little laugh. "…Alice said the same thing."

"She has a good reason to," Senzaemon said. "So, if I am not to die today, then, what brings you to finally come and visit your old man. I'll have you know, Erina already came, against my wishes even. But, then again, she's not one I can ever say "no" to, so that's on me. Several of my students have been over too. Even Jouichirou, which also made me think I was dying."

"I've been busy," Mana replied, looking down. Senzaemon held back a scoff, since despite how trivial an excuse that was, he supposed he should at least merit that she was here now. Better late than never and all that. "…I spoke to the nurses, the one supervising your condition is Hi-Dr. Arato they told me."

"Yes, to think that that young boy that used to serve as your aide and secretary would grow up to now have my life in his hands," Senzaemon remembered, smiling fondly, "Still, I feel I cannot be in better hands. He is gifted."

"…Yeah."

"Have you seen him perchance?" Senzaemon asked his daughter, which caused her to frown. "I do believe you both have not spoken to each other in years."

"We went our separate ways after high school," Mana reminded him. "Didn't much keep in contact. Technology wasn't what it is now."

"It is still ironic how you both went through similar circumstances despite it," Senzaemon noted. "Both traveled the world, both became the top of the top on your chosen professions, both married, and both had a lovely daughter –"

"Both also had a nasty divorce," Mana added, biting her lower lip. "Although I hear he's kept a friendly relationship with his ex."

"For Hisako's sake," Senzaemon replied. "It is a no-brainer after all. Children always come first."

"Alright, before you start to lecture me, let me at least clarify," Mana quickly voiced. "That news you have in your hand; that was the agreement I came to with Azami. We'll hold the dance and let the kids have their fun, then, during it, we'll have a televised interview, all three of us, Azami, Erina and myself, and we'll set the record straight. He gets his reputation fixed to whatever degree it can be salvaged at this point, I get those vultures from the WGO to back off and let me resume my duties, and… Erina gets the assurance that even if Tootsuki falls, there will be no expulsions, from anyone. Not even Soma Yukihira."

Upon hearing the boy's name Senzaemon glanced up from the papers. That was surprising.

"The school will be made stricter under Azami's administration," she continued. "All his "True Gourmet" shit will probably receive their own curriculum, but he has agreed that he will allow the WGO to partake in any and all competitions, for the sake of continued fairness, and that a member of the Nakiri family will still have power within the school, be that you once you recover, Soe, or Erina once she's of age."

"Is that what she wants?"

"Pardon?"

"All that little deal you've struck with the man," Senzaemon explained, his eyes now on his daughter's. "…Did Erina agree to any of it?"

"…She," Mana tried to voice, having to stop of a moment before she collected her thoughts, "I will inform her of it. I won't keep a single detail from her… But you have to have seen her. She's a mess. The God's Tongue is –"

"Bullcrap!" Senzaemon almost roared, which caused Mana to flinch at the suddenness of it all. For a man of his condition, she had not expected such a frightening shout. "The God's Tongue is but a symptom of the underlining condition. She needs not a guarantee that if she fails, if my Elite Ten fall, that they will be spared. She needs the conviction and trust from her family that she can persevere and succeed. Rather than finding middle-ground with Azami, you should be asking your daughter what it is she needs."

"You think I haven't?" Mana defended. "I went into that family dinner of ours, the very same one that caused this whole mess, because she wanted me to. I didn't want to go, but I couldn't… the way she looked at me, I-I just had to go. And look where that got us. And, despite it all, I am trying to keep her little relationship with Soma intact, because trust me, otherwise, Azami would do everything he could to rip them apart. What… What more do you want from me?"

Senzaemon seemed poised to reply, but the door was opened, and as the old man wondered who else could be the most surprising person to come visit him to confirm his underlining fate (maybe Azami with a bouquet of rose, new ones at that), it was instead the Doctor himself.

Dr. Hiroto Arato stepped inside, his eyes on his patient, before noticing the blonde woman seated next to him, pausing for a moment, before turning back to Senzaemon.

"Are you dying?" the Doctor asked.

"I am not that heartless!" Mana screamed out, blushing madly, as her father's roaring laughter was not helping. She felt utterly embarrassed, outright avoiding eye contact with her former aide, who seemed outright mystified by her presence there.

"It seems we share that sentiment," Senzaemon noted, still laughing, "But, as my Doctor, I would hope you'd know if such were to be my fate better than anyone else."

"I would hope so too," Hiroto noted, setting down a little chart he had on him on the table furthest from the two, before adding, "It's just surprising is all. But, considering how little Erina found her way here, I guess it's not too surprising the mother did the same."

"Indeed."

"I am still here," a still blushing Mana interrupted, arms crossed against her chest.

"That you are," Hiroto noted, turning to her. "It has been a long time since I've seen you Madam Nakiri. I have heard a lot about you from your family since we last saw one another…"

"I have also –"

"…None of it good, mind you," Hiroto concluded, and Mana felt something in her crack. The man had said it so utterly nonchalant that she didn't know how to even respond. "Still, glad to see you are doing well at least. You look as lovely as always."

Mana frowned. This was not a conversation she had been expecting to have today, or… ever.

"Ignoring… me," Mana forced herself to say, "Everything alright with him?"

"Senzaemon is all prepped up for surgery," Hiroto noted, and despite everything, those words made the daughter nervous. She tried to pretend otherwise, but her eyes still betrayed her. "Nothing that should worry us," he assured, which made her look away. "He's strong. And I promise to do my best. This is a simple procedure, nothing overly invasive. So, try not to worry too much about it okay? I've got your father."

She honestly would have just scoffed, reassurance was only worth so much, and they were human, anything could happen during such an intense procedure. But, she still sighed and nodded, "Yes, please, and thanks. I am glad it is you at least."

Hiroto nodded back, as he turned back towards Senzaemon. "I'll come back later then, allow you both some more private time. So… if you'll excuse me."

As the Doctor left, Mana watched him walk away, before turning back to her father… who was grinning for some reason.

"What?"

"You could have married a doctor, you know?" he stated matter-of-factly. "Instead you married a super villain."

She outright groaned and rolled her eyes. "And that's about it," she said, as she got up. "I see you're in high spirits, so you'll be fine. I'll keep in touch, and I will visit more often, so that my mere presence stops freaking people out."

"I would love that," Senzaemon noted, giving his daughter a warm smile, but he added, "However, if there is one last piece of advice I can give you, and I hope you take to heart, please talk with Erina. She's the one suffering the most here. Make sure that whatever deal you are striking really puts her needs above Azami's… and even your own."

"You think I wouldn't –?"

"This isn't about what I think," he clarified, and his tone was suddenly as serious as it had been back when she was a child who had misbehaved. And despite her age, despite her status and power, all she could do was shut up and listen. "You and Soe, will always be my babies. I don't care how much you grow, how important you become, that will never change," he explained. "But… Erina and Alice. They go beyond that. They are the babies of my babies, and until the day that you hopefully are a grandmother yourself, you won't understand just to what depth I am willing to go for those two, even above you and Soe if need be. So… make sure, Mana… that this outcome is beneficial to Erina, otherwise, even being my dearest daughter… will not save you from my wrath."

And just like when she was a child, Mana Nakiri had no counterargument to make.

-0-

They made their way back to the Tootsuki Resort far later than they should have been allowed, being active competitors and all that. But, rather than being the sensible adults that they should behave like, Asahi and Dove practically snuck in like a couple of kids who had stayed up way past their bedtime, laughing and playing with each other as they made their way towards the latter's room, with Asahi playing pranks against the Resort's staff by moving right pass their stations by crawling on the floor, "sneaking" past them as if he were a spy on a mission, which had only caused Dove to burst out laughing, which in turn necessitated them to just run away from the frustrated employee who really couldn't do anything to them other than tell them to behave.

Still, the immature couple finally found themselves back in Dove's room, after the girl had triple checked Azami wasn't anywhere near there, so he wouldn't catch her with him. Or her in general, given the fact that she was most certainly not supposed to have been away at Yukihira's of all places.

Still, as Asahi instinctively took off his jacket of her shoulders, the grinning girl just bounced and landed feet first on her own bed, before she just fell back onto the mattress, allowing her body to bounce and wobble until the movement stopped.

Asahi couldn't really look away, as she looked both utterly precious and utterly hot in equal measure, and he just motioned and took a seat at the foot of the bed, his eyes on the girl with the pretty blue eyes.

"Ah… I'm so exhausted, that was simply too much," she said, pretending that she had lost the last of her strength and died on the spot, but not before adding, "Uh… Dead Dove, do not eat."

"I'm still kinda tempted to," Asahi noted with a grin, as he took off her shoes and socks, before planting a kiss on the top of her foot.

"You freak," Dove teased, using her other foot to nudge on the sides, which quickly caused him to let out a laugh and squirm at the touch. "~Oh!" she said with a downright evil look on her eyes, "Someone's… ticklish!"

"Dove! Wait, no!" Asahi tried, but she pounced, tickling him so much that all he could do was laugh and try to escape, but she had a rather strong grip, and thanks to all the clowning around, they both toppled over, falling right off the bed and onto the carpeted floor. Dove on top of him, their eyes on each other. He softly placed his hand on her face, brushing the strands of hair back, caressing her ever-so gently. She still melted at his touch. "Thanks," he softly said, "I couldn't have won if you weren't there."

"…I mean, I was the one who voted for you," she said, blushing deeply. "So it goes without saying."

"That's not what I mean dummy," Asahi shot back, but he did laugh. "Cook for the one you love, I can't believe that –"

"Love?"

Asahi froze. Her tone had clearly changed. Gone was the teasing nature that was almost second nature to her, but rather, in its place was an outright sense of nervousness. He bit his lip, because he knew they had never outright confessed to each other. They had spoken about desire, about falling, about it being worth it, but they had never once voiced that particular word. Not even during…

He sighed, and laughed. "I really did fall in love with the most problematic person imaginable. Dove Dillinger, my father's handpicked protégé. The girl I have to outright destroy for my plans to work, and yet," he noted, holding her firmly, "What am I even doing?"

She looked on, those beautiful eyes of her still wide, but her nails were slowly digging themselves onto his firm chest. So he moved in, locking his lips against hers, savoring a taste grander than anything anyone could ever cook, and she took it all in, trembling at his touch she desired so, as the worries of what was to come slowly drifted away as an afterthought. Problems for the Dove of tomorrow, she assessed with what little logic remained, as she seemed to lose sense of her thoughts with each article of clothing he removed…

-0-

The next day, the news spread like wildfire, both the expected and the unexpected.

The first, of course, was the full details of the big dance that was to come. How everyone was invited to attend, including family and friends outside of Tootsuki itself, and that alone had caused it to make waves internationally. Now everyone wanted to take part in such a historic event, more so when it was announced that the Nakiri Family would host a personal interview to clear the air and finally put those rumors to rest. But, more importantly, for all the students at least, it meant they had less than a week to find a date for the event, as it was being sold as the romantic occasion of the decade.

This had everyone scrambling, and as the papers had pretty much insinuated that the proper protocol was for boys to ask the girls out, this made every boy utterly nervous at having to break the ice and every single girl utterly nervous at never getting an invite.

The second news, which came out of left field for all, was that the six invading schools had formally declared a Régiment De Cuisine against the Neo-Noirs, and that it had passed all the proper channels and was to be held today. This had lined up perfectly, Azami had been quoted as saying, with the fact that the final match had to be pushed back, so the slot was available. So it had served as a massive double shock to all, as not only were they going to witness their former enemies clash against their future ones, but it was going to be… now!

Urara, and surprisingly, Yua were both called in to host, as the former was of course a fan favorite, while the latter had gained quite the following after the Megumi vs. Shouko match-up, and to entice viewers further, both Tootsuki and the WGO agreed to have both girls present. This also served as a test run for the finale, since they were notified that they would co-host that event too. And, despite Urara's dismay, it did make sense. It would be an event that could outright eclipse even B.L.U.E., as it wasn't just the culinary world watching, but everyone. Their ratings had been insane so far, and the predictions for the clash between the Elite Ten vs. the Neo-Noirs was just record-breaking in every sense of the word. So, even for someone like her, she did feel a bit less nervous if she had Yua alongside her.

"They certainly got things ready in a heartbeat," Alex noted with a long whistle, finding himself back at the hallways leading to the main arenas, alongside the other Team Leaders in this partnership of miracles. His entire team had been shocked, especially Linda, but what else could they do? This was too insulting to just dismiss.

"But our plan has worked!" Gautier was quick to boast, wrapping his arm across Alex, smirking all the way through. "The Neo-Noirs are finally within our reach. We can take them out and become heroes! And hello all the lovely Tootsuki ladies falling for Gautier-erm, I mean, us!"

"I'm taken already," Alex muttered. "And it's not fame I'm after. I want fairness."

"You are much too modest!" Gautier noted with a sigh, "Where's that sense of vengeance, like our dearest Katya here ever so eloquently put it?!"

"…Don't call me… gah," Ekaterina tried to complain, but she felt it wasn't worth it. As the Russian Princess sat on the floor, her eyes were scanning the newspaper that had made the round. "Boys invite the girls, how utterly old-fashioned."

"Ignore them all," Gautier assured her with a hearty thumb-up. "Cammy is utterly excited to go with you, so unlike me, you have that issue long assured!"

Ekaterina just sighed. She honestly wanted to hate the guy, but his genuine friendship with her new girlfriend was so utterly sincere that she was outright grateful, so she'd make an effort and try and be nice. So she forced half a smile (best she could muster), and left it at that.

As that was happening, Lucrezia instead stood at the ready by the gates, giving her three-bladed Mezzaluna one additional wipe down out of nothing else but nervousness. She couldn't manage the bravado from all the others, as she knew her limits. She knew how prolific the Neo-Noirs were, so she knew an uphill battle when she saw one.

"You seem tense," Hakeem voiced, stepping right next to her, and she just nodded. Of course she was. "Good, as am I. We cannot go into this overconfident, or we will be slaughtered."

"…I'm surprised to hear you say that," Lucrezia noted, but she smiled nonetheless. "But yes, I agree… but, what are we going to do about him?"

At this, all five other Team Leaders turned their attention to the sixth, who was currently curled up into a ball on the floor, an utter mess of a boy. The five wondered why they had even included him to begin with.

"Screw you all!" Van shouted out, not even bothering to look up at them. "I don't know why I agreed to this! You are all trained to cook alone, while I don't think I've ever cooked without Bree! This is so unfair!"

"Show some backbone Van Autumn," Ekaterina scolded. "Do not let this pathetic display be your final stand within this Academy."

"I mean, hey, you're pretty talented, I'm sure you'll surprise yourself," Lucrezia offered.

"Or at least scream at them so much you give one of them a headache," Alex muttered, causing Hakeem to turn to him with a disapproving look. "What?"

"Do not fret, young Van!" Gautier quickly took to Van's side, grin and all, "As you seem to forget the most important part of all of this!"

"And what is that?!"

"That your ever-precious Yua will be right there watching!"

"That…" Van began, eyes widening, before his face became crimson as he recalled the first (and last) meeting he had with his "crush", and how she had seen it all and he couldn't even look her in the eyes afterwards. "That makes it worse!" he cried.

"We are utterly screwed…" Ekaterina just muttered, as they all heard the co-hostess begin to announce the upcoming event.

Everyone was gathered, as the Tootsuki students took their seats, with the Polar Stars and friends at their station, just with several empty seats. All the others quickly asked where their missing friends where, leaving poor Daigo and Shoji to sort-of fill in the blanks with everybody with the limited knowledge they had. To say everyone was utterly caught off-guard was an understatement.

Up above, as the Elite Ten gathered, they all took their seats, for once witnessing a match-up in this Intercontinental Shokugeki that did not involve them… in a way. Their fate hung in the balance, and the ideal scenario was for the Challengers to win, or if not, knock out at least one Neo-Noir out.

"Here," Kurokiba voiced, as he dragged in an extra chair from the back and placed it at the end of the line.

"Thanks Ryou!" Alice quickly said, all smiles, as she turned to the rest, "See! Deceptive marketing aside, there's no problem for all of us to be here!"

"An Elite Ten made up of eleven members, how crazy things have become," Takumi mused, as he took out a handful of popcorn he had brought with him and eat a few, "You guys want any?"

"I would, thanks!" Megumi voiced, giving him a little smile, before she turned to the others, "And I'm sorry for you guys having to accommodate me like this,"

"Honestly, it's not even you," Kuga offered, "Etsuya is the odd-man out, given he's the sub and all."

"Careful with your words midget," Eizan growled, "An eliminated Elite shouldn't bad mouth a still eligible one."

"Oh, pardon me and your single match victory that you owe half of it to Soma as is!" Kuga barked back, as both of them got into each other's face, ready to throw down if need be. They were both swiftly shut up by Nene taking Kuga's paper fan and smacking them both right upside the head with it.

"Behave, both of you," Nene instructed, firmly. "We have way too many problems for these childish squabbles," she added, before she turned to Erina, "You holding up alright?"

"Ah… yes, thank you," Erina offered, as she turned towards Soma, seated to her side, since he had asked Akira if they could switch and the other boy had agreed at once. "Although you seem more distressed than I am. What happened?"

"…Problems back in the dorm," Soma replied, trying and failing to avoid his expression giving his emotions away. This was too much, too quickly. "I need to fix something, and it's giving me trouble."

"Is it that Loren kid again?" Erina asked, already with her phone on hand, ready to expel the brat.

Soma just laughed. "No, it's not Loren. Calm down, he hasn't done anything wrong…" he added, and the moment she pouted he quickly added, "…recently I mean!"

"Do not fret," Isshiki spoke up, causing the couple to pause and turn to him. "I have been made aware of what troubles you, and we shall fix that, but for now… Let us focus on this. This match… will determine our future in ways we can't even fully comprehend just quite yet. Will our past rivals prevail in assisting themselves, and us, or will our enemies prove far too much?"

"…You don't have to make it sound so…" Soma began.

"…poetic," Erina concluded, with both boyfriend and girlfriend sporting similar expressions. "Besides, enemies? That's a little melodramatic, I think."

"Whatever you prefer to call them," Akira noted, signaling to the others to turn to the arena, "It's time…"

The stage lit up, as the giant screen turned on, with the music blasting away, signaling the start of this extra round of the Intercontinental Shokugeki, as Urara and Yua took center stage.

"Welcome back everyone!" Urara greeted, all smiles as usual. "It's me! Urara Kawashima! Live from Tootsuki's biggest arena! And with me…!"

"Y-Yua Sasaki," Yua blurted out, still shaking like a leaf. This was way too many people.

"And we're here to bring you an event totally unlike the others!" Urara continued regardless, pulling Yua in to a tight hug, as she addressed the massive crowds. "The Régiment De Cuisine! The original team-on-team Shokugeki! Which will now be held between our once-upon-of-time opponents, the Team Leaders of the six World Gourmet Organization recognized academies across the globe!"

As Urara announced, the screen flashed their names alongside the schools they represented:

Alex Franco – Real Academia de Cocina (Spain)

Hakeem Akintola – Ada Akintola's Culinary Academy (Nigeria)

Lucrezia Russo – Scuola Dotata di Arti Culinarie (Italy)

Gautier Pierre – École des Plats Cuisinés (France)

Ekaterina Antonova – Moscow International (Russia)

Van Autumn – Lestrade International Academy of Culinary Arts (United Kingdom)

Surprisingly, a few members of Tootsuki gave a few scattered claps at the names shown, likely preferring them over the team that was to come next. Urara waited, smile frozen in place, until she noticed that her co-hostess had probably short-circuited. One playful butt-to-butt bump later, Yua quickly blurted out, "A-And their opponents, are of course, the ever notorious, and likewise as gifted, midnight chefs from Neo-Noir Academy!"

Then the screen shifted once more, and upon seeing the names on screen, the crowd let out a few scattered gasps. Not so much so at who was present, but rather, at who wasn't…

-0-

Away from the commotion, in the currently "closed" Con Calma, Don Calma, the crew had all been gathered, with their biggest members taking control and directing the rest. These Tootsuki drop-outs, as it were, were being "whipped into shape", or at least that's what Sarge called it. Yuunosuke argued a bit with the method, but the results seemed pleasing, so he'd let her have her fun. What did catch his eye more, however, was the arrival of another Tootsuki student, and one that had not been expelled as far as he knew.

"So how'd you sleep Shunshine?" another of the newer (to this band at least) Noirs voiced as soon as he saw Shun walk up to the establishment, the boy carrying his tools and keeping to himself. The Smoke Master turned, his sharp gaze on the older guy, someone he recognized as the one who had written to him. The one who started this whole mess, in a sense.

"Tommy…" Shun voiced, and it didn't sound much like a greeting. The wayward Polar Star stared the older man down. The spikey green hair, and all those piercings he was so proud off, had not much changed, but it did seem the guy had moved up within the ranks of the underworld. Tommy Revolver, quite the notable midnight chef, now employed under Asahi Saiba. The title of "King" wasn't all that unwarranted, it seemed.

"So glad you took us up on that offer," Tommy told him with a smirk, as he laid on the chair of one of the many tables, legs crossed, looking to the rest. "I gave in a good word for ya. Told them how talented you are, I mean… unless life at Tootsuki has made you soft."

"…Save the bravado," Shun simply said, "Just tell me what I need to do."

"Always so serious," Tommy said with a laugh, "But I do like that about ya. Word is that the big boss is planning an all-out assault. Crashing the party so to speak, if you catch my drift."

"Crashing the party?" Shun voiced, as his eyes slowly widened. 'Does he mean the Ball, or the final match…?!'

"Yep," Tommy continued. "We've got ourselves quite the team here, and are almost done with the initial preparations to get everyone up to speed. Even those Third Years of yours, the ones that came here with their tails between their legs after getting crushed by your school's challengers, well, they've shown marked improvement. But, what can I say, Saiba is quite a gifted instructor after all, and the true leader for us outside the law… so to say."

Shun frowned. There really were a lot of them. He knew most of these Noirs were nothing special, but there were quite a few he had heard mention or rumors off. Those wearing the more notable costumes. And, also, those who used to wear the Tootsuki uniform. It was indeed a small armada Asahi Saiba had gotten together, and this would prove… problematic for whoever he chose to aim them at. So, for now, he'd best lay low. Follow along.

'…Can't let myself stick out too much,' Shun inwardly noted, frowning, 'Gotta play it just right. If this can really save Tootsuki, then…'

His thoughts were immediately halted when he felt a pair of arms on his shoulders, massaging him for a moment. He felt his eyes widen, as he saw how Tommy, the biggest delinquent he knew, outright tense up at the man now standing right behind him. Shun tried, forcing himself to calm his breathing as he turned.

Turned to meet his eyes with the eyes of the last person he wanted to clash with above all else.

Turned to see Asahi.

"And who might you be?" Asahi said with the biggest grin. Shun just stared, but his eyes did drift, towards the King's belt, that now housed two knives, one which Shun found very familiar.

"Hey boss," Tommy quickly greeted. "This is the kid I told you about. Shun Ibusaki. Dude's a natural talent, and he's just wasting away at that damn school. You should give him your thanks Shun, for as much as I can talk, I couldn't get you in here without his approval after all."

"I am aware," Shun replied, "I heard you wanted to take down the Neo-Noirs, and it… I want to help, no matter the cost."

"Do you now?" Asahi voiced, and he didn't sound convinced at all, which was not the tone Shun wanted to hear. Asahi flipped a nearby chair around, and sat on it backwards, resting his arms on the backrest. "And just who told you we were going to take down the Neo-Noirs? Hmm?"

Shun forced himself not to flinch.

"You have another play on hand boss?" Tommy asked, none-the-wiser.

"You could say that," Asahi noted, "But we just have to make sure we have the right people doing the right jobs," he added, before he turned to Shun, and with a smile, and making his hand mimic a finger gun gesture, "fired" at him. "Ain't that right?"

"…Yeah."

"I'm surprised to see you here," Yuunosuke voiced as he approached the table, which made Asahi turn to him with a childish pout. "Won't this be a good enough reason for Azami to kick you out, or are you trying to do what Kaburagi did and get your team expelled because of the lack of the fourth member?"

"As if that would work," Asahi merely replied, brushing it off. "If my pops got defeated by something so trivial we wouldn't be getting ready for outright war. Besides, what kind of leader doesn't show up to see his loyal followers every now and then?"

"Then I suppose you don't much care about this either?" Yuunosuke said, taking out his phone and flashing the screen to Asahi. The King of Noirs gave it a glance, but it did catch his attention, as his eyes widened at the sight. Then he frowned. "…She's quite the star, isn't she?"

And Asahi said nothing, because he really, really shouldn't have gotten this involved.

But he could outright shake the outright pride he felt as seeing her name trending worldwide.

-0-

Dove Dillinger walked in proudly, walking towards the main arena as the cheers and whistles abounded, almost as if everyone had outright forgotten their hatred for the girl and had outright fallen for her charms. A bewitching beauty if there ever was one. And she knew how to play along. A smile. A wink. And they were putty in her palms.

Julius followed behind, his hands on his pockets, professional as always.

Ashitaro dragged himself out, glare fixed on anyone who dared look his way.

And thus, their names flashed on the screen:

Dove Dillinger

Julius Bedlam

Ashitaro Sadatsuka

"…And here we have… three of them?!" Urara announced, a bit confused. "Wait… where's the brother dude? You guys are missing a member!"

"Oh relax will you," Dove cheekily shot back, as she bounced her way onto the middle of the arena, and with a shake of her hips, outright knocked Urara right off. Girl had quite the hips, the hostess noted with a burning fury. Yua just looked on, once more frozen in place. The six Challengers all stared her down, wondering what this meant, as she smiled from ear to ear at them all. "Hey!" she announced, taking out her own microphone, because of course Azami had given her one. "If you lot are thinking you can pull the "we're not all present so we're disqualified card", think again. This is a Régiment De Cuisine, so it follows its own rules. We present as many members as we want, and honestly," she noted, her eyes on the six before her, "…I'm sure I alone could manage."

"I swear this woman –" Lucrezia flared up.

"Don't let her get to you," Hakeem offered.

"Does she think such words will make us, what, cower in fear? Us? Please!" Gautier boasted.

"Focus," was all Alex said, his eyes scanning each of the Noirs. This felt off.

Van said nothing, as he was simply avoiding eye contact with Yua as best as he could.

Ekaterina, however, just had her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed, despite thinking, '…She's so damn cool…'

"Don't steal my stage!" Urara roared, getting right back up, looking like she was ready to pounce at the Queen of Noirs, but Dove merely laughed a bit at her outburst. "Damn it…" the hostess seethed, but relented, "So what will the terms be then? Three-on-three?"

"~Obviously," Dove replied, signaling to herself and her team of three. "There are six opponents, so it is fair if we go at it against three first, then once we win, we take out the other three. Just like that."

As the crowd all reacted to the news, and, upon being given the "okay" from the WGO judges, the matches were then set forth and announced. Everyone, from the administration from both sides, like Soe, Leonora and Azami himself, to the Elite Ten currently watching their future unfold, to those in the stands, everyone waited on baited breath as to what was to come.

Loren, for his part, wasn't at all worried. He had failed, but… this was Dove. She was unbeatable. So the results were obvious. Still…

He turned, and much like he expected, Nao was shrinking into her seat, trembling, all at the sight of the monster that stood at that arena, getting ready for his own match.

The boy who once wanted nothing more than to crush them all, all to please Azami and continue his life of luxury… softly took hold of her hand. She seemed to flinch at the touch, turning to him utterly surprised. But he said nothing, just held her hand without turning to look at her. He kept his gaze on the arena. On his sister, and her team. If only… If only she could win, but Ashitaro would lose.

But if he really was as good as Dove was…

"There's not gonna be a random selection this time folks!" Urara announced, signaling to the screen. "This time the opponents just set forth and engage, so… Who's it gonna be?"

They had already decided it, so there was no need to converse it further. Three of the Challengers set on forwards, as they were met by the Neo-Noirs who would be their opponents. The screen, as such, showcased now all three upcoming, simultaneous matches:

"Let's get this over with then," Alex voiced, as he heard his team cheer his name as loud as they could, "Show me the power of the so-called Midnight Chefs."

"This is very unwise," was all Julius offered the Spaniard.

Julius Bedlam vs. Alex Franco

"I feel that I am the last man on this planet that needs to say this, but rumors about you are most troubling," Gautier noted, frowning at his opponent. "I mean, I love the ladies more than any man on this planet, but no still means no."

"You know nothing of me," Ashitaro warned, the slasher smile slowly filling his face. Even his dark robes couldn't quite mask the sheer malice he emitted. "And you'll be sorry you set foot in here."

Ashitaro Sadatsuka vs. Gautier Pierre

"…The last thing I ever expected was to side with Gautier Pierre, but," Ekaterina said, her arms crossed against her petite frame, her eyes narrowed. "…While he is an utter oaf who can make any woman run for the hills, at least he knows his limits. You, Ashitaro Sadatsuka, your mere existence feels like a women's rights violation."

Dove couldn't speak, as she just burst out into laughter, clenching her own sides. She couldn't quite argue that. "Ha… ~Come now, Katya, don't play dirty," she finally managed to say, "Too funny, but please, my little Russian doll, try and not lose focus, okay?"

Dove Dillinger vs. Ekaterina Antonova

"…And now we don't even know who to cheer for!" Urara announced, raising her hand, and signaling the start of the match. "But this is our life, so let's go! Régiment De Cuisine… Start!"

-0-

"And you just let the boy take your knife despite his clear intent on hurting Soma and little Erina," the old man said, sitting down on one of the nearby stools, looking at Jouichirou very judgingly. "I mean, I may not be father of the year material, but even I've had my moments. The hell happened to you to make any of that seem like a proper choice?"

"I never said it was a smart move," Jouichirou defended, currently taking care of cleaning up what had remained dirty since last night's "match", more or less. "I tried to get him to listen to me, hoped he would at least humor my advice… And, I mean, part of the lesson resonated. Kid made one hell of a dish for that little girlfriend of his."

"…And this is the same girl that's antagonizing Erina, right?" the elder man, once proud owner of Yukihira's itself, Kazusato Yukihira asked, eyebrow raised, beer on hand. The disapproval was evident.

"Yes," Jouichirou muttered. "I know it sounds bad."

"Sounds, ha!" Kazusato mocked. "Something that sounds bad is me on the toilet. This whole mess of yours sounds outright dangerous for the kids. This is the moment you step up and put a stop to this whole nonsense!"

"It's… not that easy, okay?" Jouichirou offered, finally stopping with his wiping over the kitchen counter, since he was sure it was beyond clean and it was just his nerves making him continue. "I have an obligation to Asahi. I don't want him hurt, but I know I can't just let him hurt Soma or Erina. I had hoped… he'd have been a bit more willing to…"

"Not everyone can be saved, Jouichirou," Kazusato flatly stated, "You know that, right?"

"…They're all young," was all Jouichirou offered, "Soma and Erina. Asahi and even Dove. I just don't want them hurt. Trust me, if there was a sure-fire method I could use to get Azami's little team out of that competition, save Tootsuki and spare my son and his friends all that stress and pain, I would do so in a heartbeat. But with old man Senzaemon out of the picture, the WGO right smack in the middle of it all, and Azami, despite all the controversy that Soma helped bring to light, still having a solid grip over the event… Well, if the likes of Gin or Soe haven't been able to put a stop to this thing, it is very unlikely that I would have much say in it."

As Kazusato looked on, not really convinced but having no advice to give either, given this whole thing was beyond anything he could realistically assist with, Jouichirou moved away from the kitchen and took a seat at another one of the stools. He reached out, grabbing another beer that had been set on the counter, but before he could open it up, he heard the front of his shop open up, as a guest arrived.

"Did you leave the sign up?" Kazusato asked, eyeing the would-be customer.

"Hey, sorry, we're closed, but just give me a sec and I'll prep something just for…" Jouichirou then paused, having turned towards the visitor, already prepared to cook something for the guest, but getting caught off-guard at just who it was that had just stepped in. "…Riko?"

Riko Ebisawa looked like a mess. Not physically, but her who demeanor seemed like a person that had not slept in days, a far-cry from the usual spunk and charisma the woman oozed ever since Jouichirou had meet the girl way back when she first challenged him to a Shokugeki. A match that she won, surprisingly enough, and one she never mentioned because it had been one that Jouichirou had attempted one of his latest creations, the resulting dish so fowl that it had given diarrhea to poor Professor Chapelle (likely the cause of the man never smiling afterwards until much, much later) and even poor Riko herself, despite having only one bite, ended up with nightmares for days and feeling as if she had just gotten molested by a tentacle monster straight out of the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

"Hey Jou," she greeted, giving him a little wave, before she paused at the sight of Kazusato, and offered the older man a very tired smile. She tried her best, and walked towards the two men, almost throwing herself into another unoccupied stool. "…I've never felt this damn useless in my entire life."

"I take it your meeting with your eldest didn't go as planned?" Jouichirou noted, before he opened the beer and just motioned it towards her. She took it without complaint, as he took another one for himself. "Oh, and old man," he added, turning to his former father-in-law, "This is Riko Ebisawa, an old… friend of mine."

"Friend eh?" the old man said with a little scoff. Jouichirou just frowned.

"Did Soma…?"

"Yep."

"…I really need to talk to that boy," Jouichirou noted, taking a sip.

"I… it's a pleasure, Mr. Yukihira I assume," Riko greeted, and Kazusato nodded, smiling at the young lady. "I don't mean to intrude, not in, well…" she didn't quite know how to say it, as she signaled to their surroundings, to Yukihira's, making it clear she didn't want to overstep in the home of the actual wife. He just shook his head, his smile never leaving.

"You are welcomed in here anytime," Kazusato offered. "Regardless of what this fool tries to keep to himself, Soma seems to like you, and if that boy accepts, then I do as well."

"Oh, I thanks… b-but it's not like that, I was just joking with Soma, and, well, stuff…" she finished weakly, unsure of how to even explain something she was not sure what it even was at this point. She just shook her head, top a rather long sip, then said, "…Anyways, yeah. I got nowhere with Ashitaro. He's… too far gone. Won't listen to me at all. And I can't let him hurt Nao. I even tried to contact his damn father, but he has me blocked, and I don't have the time to go through the courts to try and get Nao some help because this thing is going down in less than two weeks and I need her out of there by then… I just, if I just take her and run, would that be considered kidnapping, in the legal sense?"

"Most likely," Jouichirou noted, also taking a sip. Riko just rested her head on her arms on the counter, crestfallen. "We'll think of something. We have to. I had just about as much luck on my end with my eldest boy. Asahi wants utter chaos, and he is pretty close to getting it. Even dueling against him didn't much work in getting him to listen to me at all."

"And you're sure he actually bested you?" Kazusato asked, still suspicious of those results. "You said it was this Dove girl who judged, couldn't she had just –?"

"Given him the win? Nah," Jouichirou quickly replied. "She outright undressed my dish down to the tiniest details. Azami trained her well. Too well. And I tasted a sample of what Asahi made, after having to outright beg Dove to let me just have a taste since she became insanely defensive of the dish… But, no, yeah, he… he beat me."

"Yikes…" Riko voiced, still with her head sunk on her arms. "So that kid is just that good. And I know how good Ashitaro is, and if Azami took such pains, I'm sure those other two, Dove and Julius, have to be at that level too…" she noted, before she forced herself to look up, her eyes flaring, "This is so unfair! How are our kids supposed to survive that?! I don't think even us four back in our prime could have a clear shot against them!"

Jouichirou looked on, eyeing Riko for a moment, before an inkling of an idea began to form. It sounded both cruel and risky, but… maybe it could work. Maybe it could be the only thing they could do at this point. Their very last card to play, and quite the gamble at that.

"So I take it you also have problems with your older son, Miss?" Kazusato asked, and Riko noted, honestly fighting back the frustrated tears at this point.

"And I don't know how to stop him," she confessed, feeling utterly defeated. "He's already old enough, so I could… could," and it hurt to even say, "…could report him to the authorities. Try and see if they can convince him to look for help, and if not, have him… arrested, but, even then… With as much as his father is protecting him, I would need proof, which I don't have. What happened between him and Nao was too long ago, and he was a child, there is no record of it, and it would just be her word against his and their father's, while I have no legal say in that matter. Oh God, the only way it would work is if he did do something to her and then I make my move, but I'd rather die than let that happen. I cannot, will not let that girl be hurt. Not again."

"Riko…" Jouichirou voiced, softly, and it caused his former girlfriend to give pause and turn to him. She was nearing a mental breakdown, and while he wasn't that much better off, he did suppose his crazy idea was worth a shot. "We may have one last, desperate card to play."

"…How desperate are we talking?" Riko asked, "Because I'm pretty desperate as is."

"We just go and shoot that young man's father," Kazusato offered, and Riko at least laughed.

"…Okay, we have two desperate cards to play," Jouichirou corrected with a small grin, "But, if we focus on the one that doesn't end with us in prison first, then…"

-0-

The crowd all stared in desperate awe as the combatants seemed poised to offer their dishes to the judges at any minute now. The aromas were out of this world, as everyone there at the stadium could barely contain themselves. Despite Urara's continued commentary, alongside Yua's forced comments every ten minutes or so, most of the attention lied on this clash against the chefs that led the other top schools against these mystifying midnight chefs that had caused such an uproar and now threatened what was left of Tootsuki's dwindling defenses.

Alex was the first to step forwards, placing his dish before Anne, Charme, Histoire, Courage and Decora, the last of them who had been previously informed by Azami that she no longer needed to play favorites.

"You'll see," Azami had merely stated, "Once you taste their dishes, you'll understand."

So she, alongside her coworkers, all looked on, at the dish served before them by Spain's Team Leader.

His theme had been Rice, and as such, Alex had served them his Mar, Cielo y Tierra Paella.

"Quite the impressive looking dish," Anne noted, her expressive eyes over the decorated dish before them. "Paella is a signature dish in Spain, one of their top in fact. You certainly made the most with the theme you got."

"More or less," Alex admitted, "It may be known worldwide as Spain's premier dish, but this is really closer to home. It's from Valencia, where I am from. This dish represents my city, my home, and everything my family has done to make a name for themselves. So… buen provecho."

"Gracias," Anne replied with a little smile, as she, and the rest took their taste of the massive bowl of rice served to them. And in an instant, it was this rush of flavor almost like none other. It made it vividly clear, that Alex had been held back during his match greatly by his theme or ingredient back then, Testicles as they recalled, as now serving something he was far more intently familiar with, the flavor was almost off the charts. Serving shrimp, chicken, and rabbit, the ocean, sky and earth part of the dishes namesake respectively, in such perfection that the rice had absorbed the flavor of all three meats perfectly, while the meats themselves still retained their distinctive taste, making for each bite to feel distinct. It was almost too good to be –

"My, what a coincidence."

Alex turned, frowning at his opponent, as Julius stepped up to the judges, carrying a very similar bowl. Just one, like Alex had just served, and the moment he set it down, Alex couldn't quite hide the shock on his face.

"What the heck is that?!" Urara blurted out, eyes wide.

"…It's all completely… black?" Yua added, also surprised.

Julius had made a dish that lacked any color whatsoever that was not pitch black. It looked outright burnt to a crisp, but the aroma it gave made it clear that not a bit of it had been overcooked. The judges all looked on, having not expected a second dish from the same region, especially from a chef that did not originate from that area.

"That's arròs negre," Alex realized, now glaring at the midnight chef. "You actually dare to challenge me with a dish from my own region?"

"Challenge, you say?" Julius noted with a small smile. "That in itself implies conflict, or, in this case, the chance, no matter how miniscule, that either of us could attain victory. That, sadly, is not the case."

And, then, Julius presented them all with his Negre com L'Arròs del Pecat.

"Oh, wow, this looks so dark!" Courage voiced, seeing the dish before them. Black as the darkest of nights. She could vaguely make out the crab and shrimp, and some cubanelle peppers if she wasn't mistaken. "I'm almost afraid to bite down, as I can't tell what's in there fully."

"Shouldn't be anything the WGO didn't approve of," Decora offered, as she took her utensil and took a piece of the pitch-black rice alongside some meat. 'Here's hoping you actually have a point Azami, because by looks alone, while unique, I don't think just tainting everything in black is enough to –"

No sooner had she taken the bite than she found herself by the sea, her eyes fully open, utterly shocked by the sensation she had just felt start at her tongue, then run right down her spine. She struggled to move, but was restrained by a massive tentacles beast that held her down. Her screams were silenced by a single, slimy tentacle gagging her, entering her mouth and letting its full length clog her. Another set of tentacles stripped her down to nothing, much to her increasing terror. She was then nude, in that beach, as the creature took claim of her, clasping her breasts with its tentacles, and claiming her other, more sensitive spot with its own ink-spewing mouth…

"It's a work of art!" Decora screamed, crossing her legs to combat that mental image she had just gotten, her face bright red. The proud look on Julius' face was not helping matters. The guy was smug as smug could be, and handsome too, so it made Decora just look away in embarrassment. The rest of her coworkers didn't seem to fare any better, as they all seemed to fall prey to the dish's taste.

"Hey! What's with that over-the-top reaction?!" Urara quickly shouted out, frowning at the judges. Yua just stared, clinging onto her microphone as she waited for a verdict. "This is a clash between powerhouses, right?!" Urara continued, "So where's the back and forth arguments regarding the quality, taste and whatnot of each dish?!"

The five judges all stared, blankly, at absolutely nothing, before, without even expressing a single word to either participant, or to Urara or Yua for that matter, made their vote in unison. And just like that…

Winner: Julius Bedlam.

"Wait! What?!" Urara barked. "Explain damn it!"

"T-There's nothing to explain," Decora tried to say, but she was outright out of breath.

"S-She's right," Anne agreed, trying her best to contain herself from eating the whole bowl-worth of rice. "We are here to judge each dish on which is superior in all applicable terms: taste, structure, ingredients, theme, presentation, originality and ingenuity. So, in a clash against such capable chefs, it usually comes down to the minute details, hence why we all… well, at times disagree with each other, as taste is subjective, hence why multiple judges are required during these events, but…"

"…But there was nothing here to decide," Histoire stated, firmly. "Julius' dish is superior to Alex's in every regard. Not one of us could ever hope argue otherwise."

"Seriously?!" Urara just blurted out, eyes wider still.

"…no…" Yua softly muttered, covering her mouth with her hands.

"You can't be…?!" Alex tried, utterly frustrated, his fist clenched. He could see his team, Christina, Beto and especially Linda all looking down, each of them utterly destroyed by the result, and it just didn't click. "How on Earth could he make something so superior using one of my land's own specialties?!"

"If you doubt their judgment, feel free to have a taste," Julius offered, stepping to the side, and signaling to his dish. "It has cooled down a bit, but there should still be enough to allow you to taste… the sheer gap that exists between us."

Alex flinched, glaring at the midnight chef, but he relented, and moved, and gave the dish a taste. He was no stranger to this dish, so it shouldn't much matter. It shouldn't have as big an impact as it did with the judges…

…It shouldn't, but it did. Alex didn't even realize when he had fallen to his knees, his eyes wide as wide could be, almost crying at the taste. "M-Maldito bastardo, this is…!"

"The dish that brought your family the fame it now has, isn't it," Julius noted with a knowing, little smirk. "Your father, the very talented Alexander Franco, Sr. has spent years perfecting his craft on many different types of Paella, amongst them, his favorite being, this little pitch-black dish… or, I should say, a lesser version of it. I made a few corrections, streamlined his design, and gave you a taste of what your old man should, hopefully, one day achieve. He is talented, I'm sure he'll get there… You, on the other hand, well, you have my sympathies."

Alex couldn't even think of what to respond to all of this. As much as he wanted to, nothing, absolutely nothing Julius was saying was incorrect. Not even his father's best had tasted this… superb. Just… how?!

"…That must have been such a careful use of the squid's ink and meat to balance both the look and taste of the dish," Erina said, her hand over her mouth, as even this far away, she could almost catch a taste of the dish. And for all her condition, it almost felt… inviting. Damn it, no! She shouldn't be this impressed by her father's team. This… This wasn't good.

"Did Julius just pull a Mimasaka and traced Alex's dish, or, well, his family's?" Takumi asked, turning to the one amongst them who would know best. Soma just stared, as he very much did not want to admit it, but when it came to Julius, it did make sense to ask him.

"No, this isn't a trace," Eizan replied, not bothering to turn to the blonde, but surprisingly enough answering without having to be threatened by Nene's (formerly Kuga's) paper-fan. "Julius' methods go beyond that. The man is gifted with the strongest photographic memory I have ever seen this side of science fiction. It's almost absurd. And he studies up every detail of each possible opponent he is going to face, going down the entire family tree, but instead of copying with the intent of improving, he prioritizes on the flaws. He takes a dish, breaks it down to its barest ingredients, and recreates something else entirely. All four of these Neo-Noirs have quite the catchy nickname, you idiots remember that detail, right?" Eizan added, and everyone present except for Isshiki (because he found Etsuya helping out even if it was in his own way, sort of heartwarming) and Megumi (because her Master Shinomiya had called her an idiot so many times she was kinda already used to responding to the nickname) glared at the yakuza. "His is "The Godfather", does that nickname not sound… familiar?"

"Familiar?" Kuga asked, raising his brow. "I mean, I've seen the movie, but…"

"Not what I think Etsuya means," Nene offered, her sharp eyes on her classmate. "Are you actually implying…?"

"…My grandfather," Erina voiced, the sheer fright in her voice evident. There was simply no way. "He's the Don of the Food Mafia. But, no! Absolutely not! There's no way that…!"

"Julius was the first of the Noirs to ever get accepted by the WGO, before even the likes of Ashitaro, Dove or even their so-called King Asahi," Eizan explained, his sharp glare at the victorious midnight chef who had just utterly dominated an opponent that just a few weeks ago had almost defeated Isshiki, and Julius did not seem even the slightest tired or drained. Heck, his Neo-Noir uniform was spotless, surprising for a man that had just cooked using so much ink. "…When he got the call, and the epithet, it was because he reminded the old farts at the WGO so much of a younger Senzaemon, when our Director had first started making the waves."

The Elite Ten all stared, taking in that information as best they could, but they all felt a chill at that. Especially both Erina and Soma, as while they had had their hunch, it was utterly clear now, that had Julius intended to do so, he could have crushed them both back during the showcase effortlessly.

"H-How could he, or anyone, be at grandpa's level?!" Alice shouted out, fidgeting in her seat, but Eizan just stared, the glare of his glasses hiding his worried expression.

This was the one man he respected above all else, the one chef he had no choice but to call superior ever since he had first met him and saw him in action.

This was also the man… that had utterly crushed his sister. Left her a mess. And Yukichiko was the one, one family member Eizan had left that he genuinely cared for.

'What the hell, am I realistically supposed to even do here?' he asked, not even sure if to himself or who at this point. "I can't beat him… There's no version where I can overcome him. Forget him studying up my family. He already knows them! He knows me! There's no conceivable way that I ever could… damn it, Yukichiko, I'm sorry, but I can't stop him…'

"You done there Julius?" Ashitaro asked, his gruff voice cutting through the sudden silence that had been caused ever since Julius had explained his craft.

"Quite," Julius noted to the Warlock. "And I do appreciate your restraint. But make sure our Team Leader's okay too?"

"Naturally," Ashitaro replied with a grin, not sounding all that sincere, but he still turned his attention to Dove, "How about it… Queen? Think you can take it?"

"~My, how direct," Dove playfully voiced, giving Ashitaro a little flirty smile and wink, all of it for the cameras, before she added, "But do be careful there, after all I am –" she froze. Eyes wide. She almost confessed something very intimate on live television. Something Azami should most definitely not know. "I-I mean, I am just a helpless little damsel, so try and not be so rough, okay?"

Ashitaro just shrugged, not really caring about whatever the hell she was talking about.

Julius laughed a bit, catching her little slip of almost saying "I am taken" before she caught herself.

Dove just blushed, and tried to fight it off. Not the time. She needed to focus. And, now that Ashitaro was to present his dish, then that meant…

The entire crowd stared, curious at what that whole little exchange had even meant, until…

…The strongest stench imaginable hit everywhere, all at once. It was so horrifying that it sent a wave of nausea to almost everyone seated in the seats closest to the arena. Urara and Yua had to outright push themselves to the very wall, both of them clinging onto their face, clogging their nose, as that stench had felt like a stab right to their brains. The judges, for all their experience, couldn't help but react to the sudden stench, all five covering their nose and mouth with an available cloth, which did not much help.

Up where the Polar Stars and their friends all sat, they all got hit by the wave in an instant, with Daigo and Shoji getting knocked out at once, while the rest all struggled with different waves of dizziness and nausea. It was too much, even for the Polar Star already slowly getting used to Nao's cooking. Berta and Cilla all shrieked, and the former, out of sheer desperation, just hid her face inside Mitsuru's jacket, causing the poor boy who had been moments from fainting from the stench to instead almost faint from the sudden body-on-body contact with his little crush.

Loren felt violated, and he was sick and tired of this disgusting smelling food ruining his sense of smell. He turned, covering his nostrils and mouth tightly with his hand, to the little witch next to him, saying, "That bastard also specializes in… Nao?"

He froze, eyes wide.

Nao was also clenching her nose, covering herself from the putrid smell. She was shaking, her wide eyes on not just her brother, but on the big cauldron he had kept sealed until just moments prior. Loren looked on, his eyes narrowing. 'This is too much even for you?' he noted, and he didn't much like that observation, 'He really is at a level similar to Dove then… Damn it, no, that… what the hell can we even do at this point?!'

The Elite Ten did their best, but the stench was too great, and the all had to push their chairs back to get some extra space. Even Isshiki had to back up a bit, and it outright made him feel an ire that was not common of him to be forced to do so. Just what was in that cauldron?

But, worse still, was Erina, as Soma quickly noted. Despite backing up, Erina's features turned ghastly pale. And it was just seconds left until the inevitable was to happen. Soma's eyes went wide, before he turned to the furthest seat, quickly calling out, "Takumi, pass me your popcorn bucket now!"

Takumi took like a second to process why Soma seemed so desperate for his leftovers this late into the event, but recognizing the sheer urgency in his voice, he did as he was told. Takumi passed it to Kurokiba, who passed it to Alice, who passed it to Akira, who passed it to Megumi, who passed it to Eizan, who didn't even get to pass it onwards as Soma snatched it from the Yakuza's hands and placed it in front of Erina, just in the nick of time for her to throw up her entire lunch into it. Nene, Isshiki and Kuga all looked on, utterly worried, as Kuga softly patted the girl on the back, just to make sure she wouldn't choke. Soma held her hand, as she vomited until her stomach was empty, softly caressing her hair to try and calm her down. Alice had outright teleported from her seat and landing in front of her cousin, first giving Erina a moist wipe to clean herself with, before she gave Erina one of her little masks to help filter the stench, which worked wonders given the circumstances.

"I… I'm sorry," was all Erina managed to voice, utterly humiliated and still queasy.

"This isn't your fault," Soma stated, firmly.

"Just relax, okay, everything's alright," Alice assured. "The cameras aren't being aimed at us today, so you're fine."

"Erina, if you need to go to the nurse's office, go, don't prioritize your duties here above you own health," Nene quickly added. "I know this is more important for you than it is for any of us, save maybe Alice here," Nene added, turning to the younger Nakiri for a moment and sharing a soft smile with her, "But we can manage here."

"…I'll manage," Erina simply said, taking deep breaths to try and calm herself. That had smelled so horrific, that had Soma not noticed, she would not have been able to even voice it. She would have vomited all over her uniform and the floor, and good luck cleaning that up before the cameras took notice and had a field day with her.

Back down at the arena things did not seem all that better. The judges looked moments away from fainting, while Urara and Yua seemed outright painted on the walls given just how far back they had ran.

"That's some kind of biohazard?!" Urara accused, resisting the urge to throw up on the spot.

Yua was clinging onto her, already lightheaded.

"Shows just how much you lot lack in understanding of what true cuisine is supposed to be," Ashitaro gleefully announced, as he took out several small bowls of that vile concoction of his and served them to each horrified judge. "Food is more than just taste. What your nose picks up counts so much for the overall flavor, and many chefs tend to downplay this. My craft thrives at the harshest level, were only few even dare to thread!"

"T-That's unfair!" Urara managed to blurt out. "All that does is make it so that your opponent can't concentrate. Heck! I can barely stay conscious as is!"

"That's because you are weak," Ashitaro noted, his eyes on Urara, and the girl shivered at the deranged look she was receiving. She now, kinda, didn't want to host this matches anymore. "Look around… My team had no problem with my craft."

Urara was ready to complain, but upon hearing his words, she looked around, and it was true.

Julius stood to the side, arms crossed, but he seemed utterly unbothered by the smell of the rotting deceased that was coming out of that cauldron.

Dove, likewise, was busy cooking still, dancing even. She looked as if she had not even noticed the stench, which honestly freaked Urara out.

The judges, steadying themselves, proceeded to take a bit of the dish, and it a moment it was like they had been caught up in an outright spell. Or, more accurately, a trap. As if they were trapped in a sadistic game, each tied down in different forms. Anne held up by her hands, as freezing water was sprayed onto her, making her shirt clench into her frame, leaving nothing to the imagination. Histoire and Charme were tied at the ankle by a chain, each of them of course naked, but grateful at least that the chains were connected to their ankles and not… elsewhere. Courage had a reverse-bear trap strapped to her face, her eyes frantically trying to show just how utterly messed up that image was, while Decora just sat, with a spinning saw before her, a gallon to be filled, and just enough space for her to fit her arm through.

"Shall we play a game?" Ashitaro's distorted voice could be heard asking them all, even if their consent did no longer seem all that important for the man. Instead, they each had to choose what, or who, to save. And their options: were mutilation, or… his dish.

That repugnant, foul dish he had served them, and it didn't much matter anymore. Not for salvation, but for devotion, they all choose his dish, and became willing followers of the deranged man that had taught them to value the most putrid of smells…

"I think I just saw a very frightening scenario," a very shaky Anne voiced, and the other four just nodded.

Ashitaro looked pleased, as he had served them all his Lutefisk w/ White Sauce & Vieux Boulogne.

"There's no way something that repugnant could possibly taste that great!" Urara argued, even if she was keeping her distance. Yua was still knocked out, more or less, but the judges seemed to disagree.

"I told you little hostess," Ashitaro noted, grinning wildly. "You Tootsuki lot, and these lowly Challengers, you are all utterly unprepared for my craft. My genius."

"Do not count us out yet!" Gautier voiced up, stepping up towards the table, and to Ashitaro's annoyance, showing no signs of being bothered by the massive stench. "Our theme was Cheese after all, and you seem to have done quite the dish, but I feel you have made a minor mistake…"

"Oh?"

"The cheese in your dish is only an add-on," Gautier noted, before he placed his own dish before the judges, "While I made mine with the cheese at the forefront. Behold, no tricks or teases from my end this time. Just my craft and talent on display!"

And, thus, Gautier served them all his Démodé Tartiflette.

The dish, made of reblochon cheese, black pepper, white wine, nutmeg, and smoked bacon (among a few other tidbits Gautier added to spice it up) looked heavenly, and to Ashitaro's slight frustration, despite the impact his dish had made, Gautier's dish's aroma was still coming through. Maybe they weren't that incompetent after all…

The judges took a bite, and Gautier, alongside his team: Camille, Lumiere, Joseph and Kitsch, all waited on baited breath for a reaction to rival the one the WGO judges had upon tasting Ashitaro's offering…

…but it never came.

Gautier just stared, almost shaking in place, as after having two bites, Courage seemed to turn to her team, and voice, much to his utter horror, "It is good, but… could I try a little more of the other dish before we continue our judging, please?"

"What?" Gautier asked, flabbergasted.

Ashitaro just laughed, louder and louder, like the maniac he was. "That was a good effort Frenchman," he said in-between laughter, "But not good enough. Can't you morons realize, just how utterly outmatched you all are?!"

And then the vote came in. And just like before, in a five-to-nothing…

Winner: Ashitaro Sadatsuka.

"…please, no…" Nao almost cried softly, and Loren tried to pretend he had not heard her.

The entire stadium seemed to share her sentiment, all of them already feeling defeated, despite the fact that the Challengers weren't even "their" team to begin with. But if this group, made up of the biggest forces that had almost taken out their Elite Ten on numerous occasions, couldn't even put a dent to the Neo-Noirs, what hope was there for the four Elite Ten still standing?

"I don't care how tough you all claim to be!" Ekaterina shouted out, outright throwing her dish right into the judges table, her glare in full force. "We did not struggle so hard to match the Elite Ten blow for blow just to soften them up for you lazy scrubs to come in and sweep up an easy victory. We have not lost yet! And I care not for how powerful you all are, I will not fall to any of you!"

And after that declaration, Ekaterina served them all her Divergent Shashlik.

The heavily marinated in a special, thick sauce, kebab made of cubed meats and veggies grilled on skewers looked jaw-dropping. It was a massive offering, with the meat cut and cooked to outright perfection, and it still looked as if it was slowly finishing its temp, as the meat was still pulsating thanks to the intense heat. The smell was divine, and the judges quickly took their chance and had a mouthful of the delicacy. Ekaterina looked on, and the judges seemed to collapse out of the massive surge of flavor.

"~My, how very frightening," Dove voiced from right behind Ekaterina, causing the petite Russian princess to hold back on flinching, deciding to simply turn her glare towards the Queen of Noirs. Dove offered her a knowing smile, before she moved right along, but not before something (or rather, someone) caught her eye in the stands. She inwardly smiled, before she placed her own plate right next to Ekaterina's. Their theme had been Goat after all, and Ekaterina's selection was fantastic, Dove noted, but…

Dove had decided to serve… something else.

"~Enjoy."

The dish before the judges was simply, well, indescribable. There was clearly goat meat in it, and several vegetables scattered with some sort of sauce mixture, but they couldn't tell what it was. Deciding to decipher it with their taste, the five took a bite, and just like that, they couldn't stop. They ate it all. Swallowing it down until there was nothing left on their plates. In seconds, the plates were now utterly empty, and the judges still had no idea what they had even tasted.

They turned, outright on their knees, begging for just a little more. For this girl to give them some answers, anything. But the pretty girl just smiled, and in no time, chains protruded themselves from the ground, ripping the judges clothing off, and stabbing themselves onto their very flesh, even down to the most intimate of areas. They all screamed, but she silenced them but with a gesture.

"Now," she devilishly instructed, "You must come with me, taste my pleasures. No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering. I have such culinary sights to show you!"

"W-What even is this…?" was all Charme could muster, outright sweating at what he had just tasted.

"I-I…" Anne tried, but she didn't have the words. 'Can someone so young, at just eighteen… actually be this good? Is this girl… outright overqualified for even the B.L.U.E.?'

"…What is this?" Histoire asked, repeating his friend's sentiment, and all Dove did was smile. And as practiced for the last three years of her miserable life, she replied…

"It is True Gourmet."

And the score, again, was five-to-nothing.

Winner: Dove Dillinger.

Azami looked on, unable to contain the hint of a smile on his features. That young girl he had found in the precipice of despair, had turned out to be the best investment he had ever made. 'Tell them, Dove. Tell them all why you're there…'

"What the hell is going on?!" Ekaterina blasted out, having no clue what Dove had even served, but upon that reaction, and that all-imposing score, she knew she had not stood a chance. And even if it was against her idol, she couldn't stand this. "You Neo-Noirs did this all on purpose. Used us to weaken the Elite Ten while you prepared to take what was left of them and us out! You studied up on us, took your time, and played dirty! I expected more from someone like you Dove Dillinger, other than –"

"My dearest Katya," Dove cut in, and the sweetness in her voice betrayed the sheer malice behind her words. "Don't fool yourself," she added, leaving the Russian princess in shock. "Weaken? Don't make me laugh. Do you not understand? You six were sent before us in the hopes you'd actually toughen them up. Like an undercooked meal, your job was to season them just right, try and get them closer to our level. But you failed. And so did they. So it hurts to say, but the team my Master took such pains to gather, well, how utterly disappointing it is that I alone eclipse every single one of you."

Ekaterina had no words left. No remarks to even try and save face. Her team: Luka, Sasha, Grigory, and Aleksei and his slew of siblings and cousins all looked on, utterly deflated, while Camille felt her heart utterly breaking. First her best friend Gautier, now even Ekaterina?

"…And I guess this means that the first part of the Régiment De Cuisine has officially concluded," Urara noted, grimly. "Do we get a break or are we going right into the next… and maybe final round?"

Dove just nodded in response, bouncing in place, looking absolutely hyped up for the match, while Julius and Ashitaro stood right beside her, all three none worse for wear. Urara just gulped, and signaled for the next match-ups to be selected.

Up above, Loren looked on, feeling the strangest mixture of pride at Dove's overwhelming victory (because of course), but also so conflicted about, well everything else.

"Your sister is amazing," Nao softly noted, and Loren had to pause. He didn't really expect to hear that. He turned towards her, the confusion evident, and the little witch just added, "I call it as I see it. Despite her status as our enemy, and her rivalry with my dearest Erina, Dove is indeed a talent unlike anything I have ever seen."

Loren said nothing, but he nodded. He knew she was. She had to be. She had suffered too much not to be.

Erina felt like running away. This was too much. That girl utterly scared her. How? How was she supposed to improve to a point where she could realistically take her on?! Any of them at that?!

Soma, for his part, remained quiet, just holding her trembling hand, as his mind raced with every possible scenario he could think of. And in all of them, he just lost. He couldn't think up of a single dish to counter any of the ones the three Neo-Noirs had brought forth. Was Shun… right? He shook his head. No, that wasn't the answer. There had to be a way. They needed to do something. He needed to do something. No one was invincible, no matter how much it seemed like so.

As Ekaterina, Gautier and Alex returned to the sides, Hakeem, Lucrezia and (being pulled in by Hakeem) Van made their way towards the stage.

"It's time to sink or swim Van," Hakeem noted, giving the boy a small push. "Your call, but there's no one else left, so either you duel, or you surrender."

"Don't give up!" Lucrezia called out. "I don't care how inhuman they seem, there's no way they took out the others without it tiring them out even a little bit. We can win this. We have to!"

"I am alone!" Van cried out, shaking uncontrollably. "This is so easy for all of you! But I can't cook at my best like this!"

"D'aww, does the brother need his little sis in order to compete?" Dove teased, which caused Van to flare up instantly.

"If Bree and I were able to go together, we'd crush you!" Van declared, still shaking, because the fact was, she wasn't joining him, and as such, he knew he was getting crush in turn. But…

"Bring her."

Van paused. Hakeem and Lucrezia did as well. Everyone did.

"What?"

"Bring Bridgette to cook alongside you," Dove explained. "No sense in taking on half of the Challenger's team. You guys are, basically, Co-Captains, so it is only fair you get a shot against us Neo-Noirs as a pair."

"What are you doing?" Julius whispered, turning to their crazy leader, for once a bit concerned. He knew how gifted they were, how talented. But there was still a thing as being too overconfident, even at their level. Van and Bridgette together had proven quite the team, and to take them on solo was not a smart move.

"You want to take the dumb twins on by yourself?" Ashitaro asked, scoffing at the notion. That seemed a bit too crazy even for him. It was the equivalent, as she herself has said, as taking on two Team Leaders at once, a feat even they were not yet quite confident in being able to achieve so flawlessly. It was possible, but risky.

"What? No!" Dove quickly cried out, shocking her two teammates. "I'm not insane! They'd kick my ass!" she added, which made them both just stare. What was wrong with this girl? "I mean, fair is fair. If there are two Team Leaders, then by logic, we should answer in kind, no?" she explained, as she raised two fingers on one of her hands, "With two Neo-Noirs, right?"

Neither managed to form an answer, as Dove then simply raised her hand, and in an instant, her hand was clapped, as a resounding voice declared.

"Damn right!"

And to the shock of the entire stadium… Asahi Saiba was now down at the arena.

At this, Erina and Soma could only stare in disbelief, as Dove and Asahi stood together on the grand stage, and to Soma's utter shock, the King of Noirs now sported two familiar blades holstered right into his impressive belt…

-0-

The establishment known as Con Calma, Don Calma seemed to be very busy, with plenty of people walking throughout, but notably, not a single one of them seemed to be guests or customers. From the look of things, from those looking in from the outside, it was safe to guess everyone there was one of these feared midnight chefs that had caused such a problem to them all. The lesser of two evils? They weren't sure. But there were certainly a lot of them.

Which was why, Zenji Marui was extremely against what it was they were doing.

"You want us to sneak in there?!" Marui softly cried out, signaling to the seemingly haunted local, where he was sure at least three murders must have taken place. This week at that!

"I did not ask for you guys to join me," Ryoko replied, as she, alongside the others, hid behind a nearby bus stop, her sharp eyes on the establishment.

"No way were we going to let you go into something so dangerous on your own," Yuuki noted, glaring at the place rather fiercely. This was dangerous, but also kinda exciting.

"…I really think we should have at least told Daigo and Shoji about this," Madoka offered, gulping at the sight. "No offense, Zenji, but a little more… muscle could have been warranted."

"No offense at all!" Marui cried, "I agree wholeheartedly! In fact, why don't we go back and return with them? Heck, maybe we return with more people, like with the entire school if we –"

"You do whatever you think works best," was all Ryoko offered, finally catching sight of the one she was after. "…But I'm not leaving this place until I've spoken to Shun. And trust me, he will hear what I have to say."

---

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Deep Within The Enemy's Territory!